Tyra Banks Stars in Entitlement of Mediocrity

I want to let you in on a secret. My all-time favorite talk show was the Phil Donahue Show hosted by the King of all liberals, Mr. Marlo Thomas a.k.a. Phil Donahue. In my estimation, Donahue represented the last bastion of liberalism when it actually made sense to be on the left. And in all fairness to Mr. Donahue, he was (and is) an extremely engaging and talented interviewer. Unfortunately, the Oprah juggernaut arrived and the Donahue show was its first casualty.

Fast forward two decades-now the archetypal talk show format which addressed hard-edged serious issues, has now been replaced with shows that cater exclusively to the public’s prurient interests. God forbid if the talk show medium actually educates its audience. Call it the Oprahfication (or Springerization) of the modern talk show. Enter the Tyra Banks Show-the Oprah Show for Generation X and Y. If you haven’t heard, Tyra wants you to kiss her fat ass. This proclamation arises as a response to her recent weight gain that garnered media scrutiny probably because of her model/celebrity status-go figure. Her stance is endemic in our culture, which I have dubbed the entitlement of mediocrity. Tyra wants you to accept her weight gain, which translates into complacency. Is it disingenuous for an ex-model that has amassed a fortune based on the premise of aesthetics to now complain about gaining weight? But then again we have individuals that want to smoke, drink and eat into oblivion and then list grievances when the ramifications of their behavior rise to the surface.

High-fiving weight gain is not the answer when our nation leads the world in excess and obesity. In addition, the latest stats show African-American females as comprising the largest segment of the US population for obesity-Latin women coming in a close second. This is just unacceptable. It has also been reported that this may be the first generation due to bad habits, not to reach the same life expectancy as their predecessors. And giving credence to bulimia/anorexia or binge dieting to uphold model thinness should not be acceptable either. What should be promoted is the owning up to our frailties by overcoming such obstacles through hard work (i.e. diet and exercise) and discipline. We are an obese nation-let’s face it unabashedly. That’s when someone can kiss your (healthy) ass. Check out Tyra’s tantrum for your enjoyment.